Hi, my name is Cassidy.

I am 11 years old and go to school in Illinois.  I live with my Mom and a cat named Puff. At school I am in the orchestra and we perform with Eagle Chorus. I have done a ton of plays over the last few years and played parts such as Annie in Annie Jr., Veruca in Willie Wonka, Beth in Little Women and the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz. I am also part of the North Shore Traveling Troupe – we perform all over northern Illinois at places like the Museum of Science and Industry and Botanical Gardens. It is really cool to get the chance to perform in such wonderful places!!

When my Mom told me I was cast on Into the Outdoors,  was soooo excited. How many kids can actually say they have been on a TV show?!! I couldn’t wait to get started. I’ve been camping since I was little and I think it is so important to learn about the environment around us. What better way to do it than a fun and educational show like  Into the Outdoors?!

Q: What do you do for fun when you’re not shooting Into the Outdoors?

A: When I am not shooting ITO I like to play softball with my Dad. I also like to play card games with my Grandma and learn new card games. Shopping or just hanging out with my Mom is awesome, too.

Q: How do your friends and family feel about you being a host on Into the Outdoors?

A: Everyone in my family supports me and are really proud of me. My friends can’t wait to see my first episode. They are very excited and love to look at my scripts.


Q: What is the best part about being on Into the Outdoors?  And the coolest thing you’ve ever gotten to do on a shoot?

A: The best part is sharing the experience with three of my best friends who are on one of the shows with me. The coolest thing was when I started my shoot while the cows were grazing, I was talking and heard the grass moving, I turned around and all the cows formed a horseshoe around me about 10 ft away, in rows. It was so cool!

Q: Did you learn anything interesting on your shoot that you didn’t know before?

A: What I didn’t know was how a baby calf was born. Its legs come out first and I got to watch!! That was awesome!!! I went to visit him a couple of hours later and he was adorable and also big!

Q: What did you learn about the shooting process of Into the Outdoors that you didn’t know before?

A: I had no idea that the location you chose to do the shoot in was so important.  We shot each segment in a different area of the farm, which was huge. I had so much fun!!!

Q: What is a normal shoot for you like? Do you stay in a hotel the night before or after? Do you have to wear make-up or special clothes? Who decides these things? Do you hang out with the crew? I have so many questions I don’t know where to start… tell me everything!?

A: This was my first shoot for ITO and my first shoot ever, so it was all new! I left my house in the morning and didn’t get back until late that night. We brought several different outfits to wear, and the director helped us choose what was appropriate.  I did not wear any makeup – just all-natural me!!! My Mom and I went out to lunch with the crew and the owner of the farm. It was really good. I can’t wait to do it all again!!!

Q: Is it hard to make up school work when you have to miss class for an Into the Outdoors shoot?  When do you make up the work?  And, would your parents still let you be a part of the ITO cast if your grades started to go down?

A: Making up schoolwork is not that hard. The next day I come home and go straight to the books and make up what is not done. It is about a three-hour drive to ITO headquarters, so I have plenty of time to study and do homework in my car, too.  As my Mom always says, “School is my job and all the rest is an added bonus.” So school always comes first, and I make sure I do well so I can participate in ITO and all my extra-curricular activities.

Q: Of all the Into the Outdoors episodes you’ve done, which one is your favorite?  Why?  Was the segment’s topic really interesting, or did you just have fun with the crew?

A: I have done two segments on ITO and my favorite episode was talking about dairy products! It was so fun having cows behind me while we were shooting the video. The topic was really interesting because there were so many things I didn’t know. The crew was very informative and a lot of fun.

Q: What kind of music do you listen to? And do you listen to it between shots or locations on a shoot?

A: I love to listen to a lot of different kinds of music l like music from all of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s musicals and all the Disney singers like Miley Cyrus and Emily Osment. I don’t listen to music between locations or on the shoot because I like talking to the crew, but I love to listen to my iPod on the drive up.

Q: What is your favorite movie… and your favorite part, of course?

A: My favorite movie is “Yours, Mine and Ours.” My favorite part is watching the pranks they pull on each other.

Q: What kind of activities do you participate in at school and in your community?

A: I play viola in my school orchestra and am part of the Eagles Chorus, too. I do a ton of community service and love helping people.

Q: If you could be ANYTHING in the world when you grow up, what would it be?  What’s so cool about it… and have you always wanted to be one?

A: If I could be anything in the world when I grow up, other than a famous actor and singer, it would be an astronomer. What is so cool is that you get to study the stars, galaxies, constellations, milkyways and so many other cool things. I have wanted to be an astronomer since I was four and I was sitting on my Grandpa’s lap looking up at the sky and seeing Mars. Even though I love studying about the stars I have no desire to go into space….lol!